. But the circumstances surrounding Martins death never made sense to his family members, who have insisted there was foul play. Derontae Martin has always been a big boy. The true meaning of a friend, he was that to me, his grandmother said. Martins family and friends say the Madison County Sheriffs Department along with the coroners office has not been returning their calls seeking more information. Now, the Madison County Sheriff's Department and Missouri State Highway Patrol will have to reopen their case and get to the bottom of who killed Martin on April 25.I am so glad and happy that they saw through all their lies and they saw the truth, that my baby did not kill himself, Erica Lotts, Martin's mother, told the news station. He just told me he didnt like Black people and used the N-word, Phillip Lawler testified. Catch my Killer focuses on the victim's surviving family and friends who give a voice to those who no longer have one. A Wichita Falls man has been indicted on a murder charge in connection with the shooting death of Martin Jones, according to court documents. . Derontae Martin, a 19-year-old former football standout St. Louis, Missouri, was found dead in what police are now claiming was a suicide last month. Welcome to the Catch my Killer podcast page! Where can you find this secluded Italian beach? baseDivId: 'pb-slot-right-1', Bobby Radford, Daily Journal Pathologist Dr.. They drove to the home of James Wade, to celebrate the 18th birthday of Wades daughter. Derontae deserves justice. The autopsy from the Washington County Sheriff's Office found drugs in her system indicating that her death was . tag: 'mandc,derontae-martin', Wade says he wishes there was more information coming out of the sheriffs department. Her most recent: " Proof of Miracles . }); window.tude = window.tude || { cmd: [] }; 'But one thing is for sure and two things are for certain, God ain't through yet.'. Three Missouri Highway Patrol troopers testified that they believed the death was a suicide. Martin Luther King Jr. was a civil rights leader and an American hero. One witness Held slightly further away, soot from the muzzle flash of a gun will land on the skin. But local activists and Martins family maintained that law enforcement and forensic pathologists got it wrong, insisting the former high school football player was murdered.On Friday, a jury of six people who were asked to evaluate local officials findings sided with the Martin family and their supporters, concluding that Martin was not responsible for his own death.In just two hours, the jury, made up of one white man, one Black man, and four white women, decided that Martin died by violence, not suicide, accident or natural causes, according to St. Louis NBC affiliate KSDK. Thats why she hired Turner to conduct a second autopsy. He said Wade told him that murder was the easiest thing in the world to get by with. The Missouri Highway Patrol is investigating and refusing to answer any questions the same police who were part of the initial investigation that attempted to sweep Derontaes death under the rug by backing the local sheriffs claim it was a suicide. Read More In this May 14, 2021, photo provided by Jeremiah Choka, about 100 racial justice activists staged a protest march in Fredericktown, Mo., questioning the death of Derontae Martin. The first 48 hours of a homicide are the most crucial to an investigation. Episode 44: The unsolved 1966 Bricca family triple homicide. Madison County Sheriff Katy McCutcheon released a statement Thursday afternoon via Facebook: on Sunday, April 25, at approximately 3:01 a.m., Madison County Dispatch received a 911 call from a residence on Hwy Z, in reference to a 21-year-old-male shot in the head and was not conscious. Martin was at a birthday party at a home near. This is Derontae Martin'19. aid: '736761', I need the cops to (his address). env: 'prod', A self-inflicted gunshot wound leaves behind several key indicators. She learned of her sons death from Derontae's cousin the next day. Police and a forensic pathologist had determined that he fatally shot himself. Back in May, we reported on the suspicious "suicide" death of 19-year-old Derontae Martin. Wade displayed Confederate flags throughout the home and was known for. Women of Power TECH, PODCASTS The homeowner directed a Madison County sheriff's deputy to the attic where he found the body of Derontae Martin who had allegedly shot himself to death in his left temple. The statement said the dead man was identified as Derontae Martin, 19. Furthermore, the homeowner, James Wade, testified at the inquest and was forced to answer hard questions about his history of racism and allegedly confiding in an unidentified tipster that he had killed Martin. subcat: '', He is heard calmly saying, apparently, a guy just shot himself. On April 25, Martin joined a group of friends traveling from St. Louis to Fredericktown, a town 90 miles south from the city. divId: 'div-gpt-ad-rightrail-3', It has been one year, no one has been arrested, more questions have surfaced and the Missouri Highway Patrol have shared nothing. window.tude = window.tude || { cmd: [] }; 'I am so glad and happy that they saw through all their lies and they saw the truth, that my baby did not kill himself,' said Erica Lotts, Martin's mother. We've got to figure out what really happened, and why it happened.The Madison County Sheriff's Department declined to comment on the jurys decision when reached, referring all queries to the county prosecutors officer.Prosecuting attorney M. Dwight Robbins did not immediately return VICE News request for comment. A second autopsy Martin's family is frustrated with the lack of answers from officials in Fredericktown, too. tude.refreshAdsViaDivMappings([ { So far, no one has called. She said that they plan to keep praying through the entire journey to justice. Derontaes death resulted from violence, not suicide. Audio from an inquest into the shooting death of Derontae Martin offers widely conflicting accounts of how the young Black man died inside a rural Missouri home during a party in April. It took only two hours for a six-person jury to make its decision on Friday in the death of Derontae Martin, who was found dead in an attic on April 25 at a rural home outside of Park Hills, Missouri, reported the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. But it wasn't . Madison County Prosecutor M. Dwight Robbins told KSDK he likes to ask Coroner Collin Follis to call an inquest if there is uncertainty about a death. INFORMATION Fredericktown is roughly an hour and a half from Saint Louis, Missouri. Please include details and links to your story. tag: 'mandc,derontae-martin', Audio from an inquest into the shooting death of Derontae Martin offers widely conflicting accounts of how the young Black man died inside a rural Missouri home during a party in April. He testified that he had used racial slurs in the past and on social media but that he did not kill Martin. During the inquest, Wade said he had spoken to the man but claimed he had told him, I probably could have shot him and gotten less heat from his people than what I got now from trying to help the guy.. A six-person jury scrutinized the April 25 shooting of Derontae Martin, 19, during a coroner's inquest on Friday, in Madison County, Missouri. His family is now questioning the official. Lotts danced in the courthouse after the decision before she briefly collapsed in a chair and cried. Episode 43: The unsolved murder of Ft. Bragg soldier Jose Melendez Jr. The witness said Wade asked him to provide back up as he was expecting a gathering of protesters at his residence later. found 19-year-old Derontea Martin dead of what appeared to be a self inflicted gun shot wound to the head. In May, about 100 people, including Martin's mother, friends, family and activists gathered in Fredericktown to remember the 19-year-old and call for justice in his case during a protest march. Derontae Martin's case reopened after police cover-up, claiming suicide is debunked. He turned himself in. Get involved. Originally ruled a suicide, the cause of death was determined differently by a coroner's inquest grand jury as well as a separate pathologist. No updates have been given on whether the case has since been reopened. Episode 38: Gary Plauche: Hero or Killer? cat: 'news', A Confederate flag hangs from his front porch, and another adorns a wall inside his garage. You can also help support my podcast by purchasing a cup of $5 coffee every month. He worked at Walmart and a restaurant to save money for college, where he would continue to play the game he loved. Derontae Martin's mother said she was happy with the finding. The prom party that Martin attended was reportedly hosted at the home of a man who has expressed racist views on Facebook. To protect the integrity of the case I cannot release any other information other than the statement that was posted on Madison County Sheriffs Office Facebook page.. baseDivId: 'pb-slot-right-1', "Methamphetamine intoxication" may have contributed to his death, according to Martin's initial. He never came to my house, Kimberly Robinson said. Very quickly authorities ruled his death a suicide, however his loved ones have reasons to believe that wasn't the case. The 19-year-old was found dead after he attended a prom party in rural Missouri two weeks ago, and following their ruling, it has been suggested by many that police were too quick to rule Deontae's death a suicide. aid: '736761', Derontae Martins family has insisted the 19-year-old did not die by suicide. During an inquest, Dr. Russell Deidiker, the coroner responsible for the first report, stood by his findings, saying that the second pathologist did not find soot rings due to embalming. Derontaes death resulted from violence, not suicide. Antonio Planas is a breaking news reporter for NBC News Digital. But the Madison County Sheriffs Department announced the results of a preliminary investigation on its Facebook page four days after his death stating the 19-year-old died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound at a Fredericktown home April 25. The second autopsy revealed inconsistencies from the first examination, and as a result, a jury was empanelled to review the case. Investigators say Wade passed a polygraph test when asked directly if had shot the teenager. The local coroner quickly ruled his death a suicide. James Wade was arrested, and is being held in custody, for. But God aint through yet, Martins grandmother Kimberly Robinson told KSDK. I was born in the south, and I'm not ashamed to show the Confederate flag or anything, he said. Audio from an inquest into the shooting death of Derontae Martin offers widely conflicting accounts of how the young Black man died inside a rural Missouri home during a party in April. Discrepancies in findings about who was responsible for Martins death, as well as the fact that he was found dead in the home of a white man who displayed a Confederate battle flag at the front of his house, which is in a majority white community, has sparked months of community opposition to what local authorities concluded. On July 30, an inquest jury rejected that finding and determined that he died by violence, reported The Daily Beast. An initial autopsy and coroners report found that he committed suicide was not enough to sway them either. env: 'prod', According to McCutcheon, the preliminary evidence indicated the male subject died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head. However, a separate autopsy commissioned by Martins family determined that the bullet was fired from further away, implying that someone else fired the fatal shot. The Associated Press obtained the audio through a state open records request. The victims were sons, fathers, mothers, daughters, or friends. A Jury Disagreed Derontae Martin's mysterious death was ruled a suicide despite witness accounts claiming a Confederate flag-flying homeowner was involved. His body was discovered following a prom party held on the property. His shooting death four months ago in April 2021 was classified by local law enforcement as a suicide. 'If he ended up in the attic and that's the story, how did he end up in the attic? Why didnt the Sheriffs office call Derontaes family to notify them of his death? On April 25th 2021, Derontae was found dead in the attic of a house owned by a known white supremacist with a gunshot wound to his head. They met in Madison County's only courtroom Friday as part of a coroner's inquest and. (In background, very muffled) That was crazy he Campaign Zero Launches #JusticeforDerontae Demanding Independent Investigation into 2021 Suspicious Shooting of Black Missouri Teenager |, Mysterious Suicides and Missing Persons Rattle Southern Missouri Town |, Black Teen Found Dead in White Mans Attic Didn't Kill Himself, Jury Finds |, Inquest: Conflicting accounts of how young Black man died |, Missouri family seeks answers in 19-year-old's death |, 'They saw the truth': Grieving mother reacts after jury overturns coroner's suicide finding in son's death |, 'Somebody was not a friend to him' | Missouri family believes Black 19-year-old's suicide was a murder |, 'There's got to be somebody who can help us': Grieving mothers bond over suspicious deaths of their children |, Black teenager found shot dead at Missouri home of white man who made racist social media posts did NOT kill himself, jury rules as it overturns police's suicide verdict |, Inquest jury finds Martin's death was from violence, not suicide |, Family suspects racism played role in death of Black Missouri man initially ruled suicide |, US Department of Justice: Civil Rights Division. Martin was found shot to death during a prom party inside the rural Missouri home of James Wade, a white man with a history of bigoted social media postings. Nick Lowery. According to the Associated Press (AP), Derontae Martin and his family moved to Ferguson, a suburb of St. Louis, for a better life. Why was James Wades polygraph administered to him by a highway patrol trooper instead of a certified polygraph examiner? When authorities in Madison County, Missouri, found 19-year-old Derontae Martin dead in the attic of a white man's home, they determined the Black teen died by suicide. A second autopsy, commissioned by Martins family, determined that the gun was fired from farther away. The initial autopsy done on Martin was thrown into further question when it was revealed . } During the coroner's inquest, 20 witnesses presented their stories about the night Derontae Martin died. Derontaes SAT scores werent good enough for him to get into college right after graduation, so his mother said he was working to improve them so he could play college football, too. Coles worker fights a woman allegedly trying to steal groceries, Jax the Staffy is rescued after being stuck in a cave for two days, Rapidly growing cemetery filled with Vladimir Putin's 'prisoner army', Locals desperately smash windows of overturned double-decker bus. Ronny Reyes For Dailymail.Com, 'Is this guy going to hit me?' To those who knew him, the news of his death by suicide was both jarringly tragic and suspicious. Sometime during the party, Martin died of a gunshot wound to the temple.According to KSDK, the county prosecutor has the ability to call for an inquest in the county coroners findings if there is any uncertainty about a cause of death. tude.cmd.push(function() { Martins family is frustrated with the lack of answers from officials in Fredericktown, too. The . They concluded the gunshot wound was self-inflicted and fired at close range. Derontae's high school coaches and local police spoke highly of him. Masthead, Economic Equity & Racial Justice Townhall Series, Elevate Black Podcast sponsored by Fifth Third Bank, 100 Founders of Change by American Express, Chasing Success Podcast by JP Morgan Chase, Black Business Month Sponsored by Nationwide, 2022 Registry Of Corporate Directors Listing, 2021 BE Registry Of Corporate Directors Listing. One witness said someone confessed to killing Martin; another said he saw Martin shoot himself. (Jeremiah. She found Derontae had been shot in the left temple. This weeks story involves a 19-year-old young man from Park Hills, Missouri named Deronate Martin. 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